


Respite

by acoolegg



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Underfell, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Bipolar Disorder, F/M, Harem, Multi, Multiple Universes, Multiverse, OCs - Freeform, Other, Reader has depression, Reverse Harem, Sexual Tension, feely fic, kinda slow burn, multiple POVs, originally a self-insert but it became a reader-insert, personal stories, previous relationships, reader has anxiety disorder, reader has negative thoughts, reader's name is never mentioned but she gets called a lot of pet names, the best version of fell papyrus is tsundere fell papyrus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-08-15 15:10:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 16,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8061256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acoolegg/pseuds/acoolegg
Summary: Somehow, three universes' worth of monsters came to this Surface six years ago. There were the kind monsters from Universe A, called the 'Tale' monsters. There were the 'flipped', kind monsters from Universe B, called the 'Swap' monsters. And there were the angry (if not a bit misunderstood) monsters from Universe C, called the 'Fell' monsters.And somehow, a girl working in a grocery store managed to catch the eye sockets of all three universes' skeletons.On-Hiatus until my life can get itself back together and I have motivation for this again, lol. (Probably in November or something.)





	1. If You're Interested In Keeping Track Of Changes, All That Is Here!

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of my coworkers comment on how odd I am. It's always lovingly, mind you, but it's still curious to me.
> 
> Decided to take that curiosity and write about how an outside perspective notices my (or _your_ ) quirks. It wasn't originally an Undertale fanfic, but. Things happen.
> 
> (I really like the idea of the skeletons being worried about someone while they work, and *fake shopping* to make sure they don't get hurt.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> not actual story stuff, just a collection of updates and when they happened. i'm also putting "the playlist" i use for this in here.

09/26/2016 - Changed title from 'Welcome to Clicklist' to 'Respite'  
09/29/2016 - Italicized the Swap brother' text (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4)  
\- Bolded the Fell brothers' text (Chapter 4)  
10/08/2016 - Changed rating from 'Teen' to 'Mature' due to certain themes  
10/17/2016 - Changed Papy's text format to lowercase (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4)  
\- Changed Sans' text format to lowercase (Chapters 3, 4)  
\- Updated with fixes to formatting issues (Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)  
03/27/2017 - Came back from accidental hiatus  
04/02/2017 - Update the description  
\- Updated the author's notes so the updates go here  
-Cleaned up the tags

The Playlist: (jsyk, it goes Artist - Song, and everything is linked! i listen to a disgusting amount of vocaloid english covers, and vocaloid in general. also a lot of like, sad grunge music. i like to cry.)  
[JubyPhonic - Patchwork Staccato (English Cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elC2uKfEKbg)  
[Giga-P and Crusher-P - ECHO x Hibikase](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS8SPYtD1Ds)  
[Hachi - vivi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GD-zl6_I2U)  
[rachie - Goodbye, Ms.Flower Thief (English Cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKE9-PIdJfQ)  
[JubyPhonic - Hinekure Neji To Ame (English Cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a_FziMENGA%22%22)  
[Porter Robinson - Sad Machine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAIDqt2aUek)  
[JubyPhonic - I Don't Wanna Know (English Cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Vg4DHeqfw)  
[Toby Fox - Respite (Undertale OST)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekx-WUSVp78)  
[HoneyWorks - Suki Kirai](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcFtfTxED5I)  
[rachie - Eine Kleine (English Cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_efOrpKuApE)  
[Wintergatan - Marble Machine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q)  
[Spongebob Squarepants/Melanie Martinez - Best Party Ever (Marshup)]()  
[Halsey - Colors ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trzzg6qL7Ic)


	2. Haven't Seen You Before (Papy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Papy and Blueberry meet her for the first time.
> 
> **PAPY THIRD PERSON POV**

Blueberry had asked Papy to go shopping with him, telling him about how he was planning a huge dinner for the skeletons of every universe to enjoy. Hating to see his brother upset, he had agreed to come with him (albeit sarcastically. Can’t have Blueberry thinking that he _wanted_ to come). When the two arrived at the huge supermarket, they were in awe.

Well, more like Papy was in awe. Blueberry just took off for the produce area, looking to get the stuff to make his “ _world class_ ” pico de gallo. But the sheer amount of people, both monster and human, wandering the store to do their shopping was amazing. Had someone approached Papy about the idea of monsters (just from **his** timeline) shopping in the same area as humans ten years ago, he would’ve laughed in their faces. Now, it was a daily occurrence.

He glanced around the produce area, finding Blue climbing up the shelves to reach some cilantro. Sighing, Papy channeled his magic through his phalanges and picked both his brother and the cilantro off the shelf. The green herb landed safely in Blue’s hands, and Blue turned to glare at his brother.

It was then that Papy noticed the young lady standing behind Blue, staring at the small skeleton in mild awe. He looked over her; hair tied up tightly in a ponytail, with still a few strands lying on her neck. Fleece jacket with collar popped up, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, unzipped to expose the t-shirt that proudly read ‘ClickList’ across the chest. Black work pants that hit the floor behind her, simply because she was too short for them. Disgruntled look in her eyes. Nametag pinned onto the fabric above her left breast.

She had a large device wrapped around her left wrist, a wire connecting it to something on her fingers.

He lazily blinked, looking back to his brother before shrugging and walking towards the two. The girl crouched down and smiled at Blue, who sat the cilantro in her hands. She looked around, set the cilantro on the big blue cart behind her, then pat him on the head with her free hand. The other dug around in her pocket. Papy raised his brow bone in mild interest, standing behind his brother now.

She sounded very bored, he noticed. Bored, but kind. She wasn’t rude. “Alright, thanks big guy.” She looked up at Papy. “And bigger guy. That was your magic, right?” Papy tilted his head, curious as to how she knew, then nodded. She looked back at Blue. “Because orange doesn’t match your _magnificent_ color scheme, eh, fella?”

“ _Indeed it does not! That was Papy’s magic!_ ” he responded, puffing his chest out and striking a pose. “ _The magnificent Sans’ magic is colored blue, of course!_ ” Her smile became a little more genuine, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she let out a short, two syllable giggle. A quick ‘he he!’ Papy watched as she produced a purple lollipop from her pocket, wrapped in crinkling cellophane.

She looked back up at Papy, “Just so I don’t get in trouble, can I give your son a lollipop?” Blue gasped, clutching his chest where a human heart would be, offended. Her gaze shot down to him, curious as to what she did wrong. Papy started snorting, feeling an embarrassed flush on his cheekbones. “What? Huh?” She was genuinely confused; he could feel her soul stuttering as she lost confidence in her actions, rather than see it.

Blue snagged the lollipop, “ _Miss, I’m not his son!_ ” Papy continued to snort and huff, trying to contain his laughter. No one had ever thought that Blue was his _kid!_ “ _The magnificent Sans is the **older** brother, thank you!_ ”

Her cheeks flushed, her eyes widening as she started to get what was happening. “Oh my God! I am, oh Jesus, I am _so sorry_ , Sans!” She put her hands to her face. “I just, you’re…” She glanced anywhere but at the pair, and it was apparent that she was trying to figure out a way to save the botched interaction. “You were so heroic and so energetic, I thought you were a-a-a knight in training! I see you are a,” she trailed off, wondering how to save it, “a-an already accomplished knight!”

Papy snorted again, but looked down at his brother. Blue’s pupil went full-on stars, twirling in his eye sockets as he gazed at her. She looked at him, backed up a step, then stuttered out the beginnings of another apology. “ _You think that I, the magnificent Sans, am a knight?_ ” She looked at Papy, hoping for some sort of signal. The fear in her eyes read ‘am I going to get punched?’ He nodded, smiling lazily and flashing her a thumbs up.

“Yes! Y-you’re so heroic! You jumped to my aid as soon as you saw that I couldn’t quite reach the cilantro.” She faked a curtsey. “You’re a real knight, oh magnificent Sans.” He beamed up at her, cheeks flushing blue excitedly.

“ _Well, it was nothing for you, my friend._ ” She blinked at that. “ _The magnificent Sans always helps his friends!_ ” He laughed, striking another pose. Then he unwrapped the lollipop and shoved it in his mouth. “ _Papy, I’m going to go get the stuff for my tacos! Don’t fall too far behind! Goodbye, miss!_ ”

When Blue was out of sight, she crumpled forward and buried her head in her hands. “I can’t believe that just happened.” Her soul fluttered again. She looked at him and smiled softly, “Thanks for your help, sir. I hope you and ‘the magnificent Sans’ have a wonderful rest of your day.” She stood up straight and turned to the cart behind her. Papy looked at her back, then over where Blue had ran off. He hadn’t fallen ‘too far behind’ yet, had he? This girl interested him; he could feel her soul so well.

He blinked himself out of his thoughts when she walked around him, over to a machine on the side. She set the cilantro on it, tapped a few buttons, waited for something to print out, then used the device on her fingers to scan it. She carried the cilantro back to the cart, put it in a plastic bag, then put that plastic bag inside of another one. She was straight-faced again, her body seemingly on autopilot as her eyes were glazed over. She checked the bigger device and went on her way, wandering over to other fresh produce.

Papy glanced at her cart, shrugged, and moved the stuff around the top to look at it. What was she doing? Did it have to do with that ‘ClickList’ thing on her chest? As if sensing his thoughts, a little pamphlet came into view. It had ‘ClickList’ plastered across the front of it, in the same bold font as the one on her shirt. He picked it up and glanced at it.

She cleared her throat. He jumped. (No one had ever gotten the jump on him before.) “Is there… something else I can help you with, sir?” Her soul had tightened up, a sign that she was feeling hesitant towards him. He looked over his shoulder at her. She stared back at him, crossing her arms across her chest. She held a bag of apples in her hand, a label slapped on the front of it.

“ _nah, sweetheart. nothing. just grabbin’ one of your flyers._ ” He held the sheet of paper up, waving it slightly. She smiled again, although it wasn’t nearly as genuine. Papy stepped back, letting her reach the cart. She set the bag of apples on it, hands fiddling with it as she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. He glanced down at her, shrugged, and started to walk off. “ _see you around whenever, lady._ ”

Her soul fluttered again. He looked over his shoulder one more time, seeing her place a hand on her chest and sigh. She murmured something under her breath, setting her head against her cart.

With a shrug, Papy continued towards the taco aisle. He wondered why he hadn’t seen her working before.


	3. Off the Clock (Papy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Blueberry needs some 'organic pureed pumpkin' and sends Papy out to get it.
> 
> **PAPY THIRD PERSON POV**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBH, the basic premise of this chapter IS true. It DID happen. I was leaving work and a guy asked me to help him find a can of pumpkin. I did so.  
> He didn't ask me out for dinner though. Which is sad.  
> Also, guess my OCs are gonna make their appearances soon! If you've read my 'This is Gross' series, you'll be acquainted with them. A little bit.  
> :/

Papy had the post-it note that Blue had given him pulled out, scratching at his skull beneath his beanie. Where the hell was he supposed to find ‘organic pureed pumpkin’? Why the hell did Blue even _need_ ‘organic pureed pumpkin’!? And, why did he need it at 8:13 in the evening?

He huffed exaggeratedly, rolling his shoulders before sighing. He looked up in time to see the girl from last week walking towards the door. She still had the fleece jacket on, though he could see where her hair had been matted to her forehead by sweat. Why would she wear it if it had been so freaking hot out? And… why had she been outside?

She rolled her own shoulders and leaned against the wall. There was a machine beside her; she set her hand on it, hit some buttons, then turned to walk out. Papy looked at the list and grumbled. He shoved it in his hoodie and chased after her. He didn’t know why. She was very clearly off the clock. This was creepy.

“ _hey, sweetheart!_ ” She was walking through the cart corridor, but she stopped and turned around. She scanned over the empty lobby, then saw Papy coming towards her. She apparently didn’t think he was talking to her, as she shrugged and started to walk again. “ _i’m talking to you, sweetheart._ ” He had teleported the short distance to get closer to her. She jumped and turned around, staring up at him. She was quite small.

“Uh… hi?” she asked. There was hesitation to her tone, a carefulness to her actions. She stepped back slightly. Papy noticed. She looked at him hesitantly. Her soul fluttered again. “...do I… know you?”

He hadn’t thought that she wouldn’t have recognized him, as selfish as that sounded. Monsters were pretty memorable. But then again, she did work in a supermarket. She saw so many people on a daily basis. “ _uh, sorry. i met you earlier this week… my brother, **the magnificent sans** , helped you out?_” At the mention of the Magnificent Sans, her eyes had widened and an embarrassed flush tinted her cheeks.

"Uh, you were his… brother, right? Not his dad?” He grinned at that, leaning back slightly as he relaxed. She glanced around, her hands fiddling with something in her pockets as she tried to decide what to do next. “...do you need something?”

He hadn’t expected to get this far, but now that he was here he tried to think of something to do. “ _...honestly, yeah, but you’re off the clock so i feel bad asking for it._ ” She tilted her head, eyes staring up at him. He’d give her that; she maintained eye contact as much as possible. Very respectful, very involved. He felt obligated to answer her unspoken question. “ _blue is looking for some ‘organic pureed pumpkin’… i thought… you’d know where it is…_ ”

He felt incredibly awkward under her stare. She noticed, looking down at her shoes. Her eyebrows furrowed for half a second, but she sighed and rolled her shoulders. “Okay, c’mere.” She zipped the fleece jacket up, taking the name tag off and sliding into the wallet on her wrist. Papy stepped back, letting her take the lead. She smiled awkwardly at him, “I don’t want anyone else knowing I work here, yo.” She had lightened up a bit; she wasn’t calling him ‘sir’ or being as professional. “Well, if I’m helping you ‘off the clock,’ can I get your name?”

“ _it’s, uh, it’s papy._ ” She hummed, walking down the aisles like she owned them. He just followed blindly, watching as her falling-out ponytail bounced in time to her steps. She made a sharp right and lead him down a too-sweet smelling aisle. The baking aisle.

“It should be…” She stopped suddenly, and Papy caught himself before he bumped into her. She bent down (he noticed that her knees were pressed together, rather than apart. He wondered how she bent comfortably) and grabbed a couple of different cans off the shelf. “Right here.” She stood back up, wincing slightly before smiling. “There’s the store-brand and name-brand. Speaking from experience - albeit minimal - the store-brand is just as good. And cheaper, so yeah.”

Papy glanced at the cans in her hands. ‘Organic Pumpkin’ was written on both cans. He took the store-brand out of her hands. She smiled and set the other down. “ _thanks,_ ” he said simply. She nodded again, about to step off and go on her own way. He didn’t really want her to leave yet, he found. Her soul was thudding softly; anxiety or something. “ _wait, uh, sweetheart._ ” She looked back at him. Her soul huffed in annoyance. Was she getting annoyed?

“Yeah?” she asked, though annoyance wasn’t show on her face. Or her voice. She looked like the epitome of calm and collected.

“ _you want, like… food? or something?_ ” She blinked, stepping back. “ _sorry, shit. i realize that this is probably really creepy. a big monster asking you about pumpkin then asking you to grab a bite to eat. i promise i don’t have any bad intentions. you just seem a little…_ ”

“I’m gonna have to say no, whether this is creepy or not.” Papy hadn’t expected that. Her tone, that is. It wasn’t mean or rude, but firm. She had her phone pulled out. “I was supposed to be home about two hours ago. Family's getting a bit worried.” Her fingers danced across the screen while she pushed her hair back with her free hand.

Papy looked down at her, “ _...you think it was creepy?_ ” He started to smile. He hadn’t expected her to be so comfortable telling him that.

“Yeah. But it’s whatevs.” Her fingers stopped. Her soul clenched up. “Shit. You’re a customer, and even if I’m off the clock I shouldn’t be rude to you.” 

At this, he laughed. “ _nah, you have every right to be ‘rude’ to me._ ” She obviously hadn’t expected that; she looked back up at him, eyebrows drawn up in curiosity. He shrugged his shoulders, keeping that same lazy grin on his skull. He didn’t want to scare her off. “ _like you said, you’re off the clock. i was the one that chased after you._ ”

She squinted at him. “...I can’t tell if you’re agreeing with me because you _actually_ agree or if you’re _really_ interested in going out to eat with me.” Her wallet jangled on her wrist as she fiddled with her phone. Her soul was fluttering with anxiety, or excitement. She looked at anywhere but him, ending up glaring at her phone. It vibrated in her hand suddenly.

Papy saw a picture of a fox-like monster, ‘Cheese’ written above it. She was getting a phone call.

A soft sigh came from her before she slid her thumb across the screen and put it to her ear. He watched, waiting to see if she wanted to talk to him still. She held a finger up.

‘Just a moment,’ it meant.

Well, he guessed he could spare ‘just a moment.’


	4. Cancelled (Papy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Papy finds out that Sans knows her.
> 
> **PAPY THIRD PERSON POV**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> put in 57 hours this week  
> (I was supposed to work 40.)  
> But I did get Saturday and Sunday off so HOLY SHIT WEEKEND.
> 
> I'm experimenting with writing Sans a bit differently. I like sarcastic, cunning, asshole-to-his-close-friends Sans. I like to think he's adjusted and changed at least a little bit after being on the surface. So if he's OOC, I'm working on that.
> 
> Oh, side-note. Monsters have lived with humans for six years or so. Swap, Fell, and Tale universes all live here.  
> Cheese and Sans don't work out in the world. :'|

She hadn’t texted him at all. After their abrupt conversation in the store, she had sighed and asked for his number. _“In case I change my mind.”_ She hadn’t texted him at all. It had been almost a week. She hadn’t texted him.

In retrospect, Papy realized that he had come off super fucking creepy. She had told him it was creepy. But she hadn’t given off a ‘I’ll just take his number and then delete it to get him off of my back’ vibe. Her soul hadn’t even hesitated. He was confused. Very confused. She hadn’t texted him at all.

He was with Sans today. Not _his_ Sans, mind you. The other Sans. Blue, lazy Sans. His alternate universe brother and self. The pair had been tasked to go to the store by Blue, Boss, and Papyrus. Red was supposed to come, but he was sweating up a storm and complaining angrily about how much he hated the supermarket.

That’s why he kept looking at his phone. She hadn’t texted him. He was in her place of employment. Would it be creepy if she saw him there? It wasn’t like he was seeking her out - he wasn’t going to stop coming to the store even if she did give him the cold shoulder. But, that didn’t make him having to wander down the aisles with Sans any less awkward.

The shorter skeleton noticed how he kept glancing around. To anyone else, the pair would’ve seemed like the epitome of relaxed. But Papy kept looking around. He could feel the magic pulse off of his soul.

“someone got you spooked or something, papy?” Sans asked as he grabbed some stuff off the shelf. They were in the baking aisle. It was Sunday. The store was packed. The taller skeleton glanced down at him, scratching at the skull beneath his beanie. He was contemplating something. He didn’t show his anxiousness very often.

“ _s’a human. no biggie._ ” He rolled his shoulders. Then he jumped at the call of his name.

Papy whirled around, Sans already seeing who called him out. It was her. She wasn’t dressed in her uniform. She had her hair down, but a thick headband kept her hair pulled away from her eyes. Her eyes lit up when he saw her. Her soul was jumping in anxious excitement. She nearly tripped when she stepped forward, but caught herself and walked towards the pair. When she saw Sans, she squinted a bit.

“that human?”

“ _yeah._ ”

She looked between the two, then looked up to Papy. “Uh, I’m forcing myself to do this.” More anxiousness came off her soul. It was incredibly thick. How she wasn’t stuttering while she spoke was beyond him.

She fiddled with her hands a lot.

“oh, hey, kiddo.” Papy looked at Sans. His eyes were “lidded”, so to speak, staring at her with a grin. “how’s cheesy holdin’ up?” Sans knew her. And that ‘Cheese’ monster.

“Not now, please.” Her voice caught. “I’m, I’m trying to talk to P-Papy.” There was a stutter. The shorter grinned and shoved his hands in his pockets. There was a moment of silence, and he watched her search the floor for her next words. “Okay.” She inhaled and looked back up at him. “I’m really sorry for not texting you.”

He blinked. So she wasn’t avoiding him, huh? His shoulders felt a little bit lighter. He hadn’t scared her, then. He hadn’t creeped her out to the point that she didn’t want to associate with him. She didn’t need to know that though. “ _oh, it’s cool. no skin off my nose._ ” She blinked three times. Her shaking smile spread into an open-mouthed one. Sans had already snorted. She laughed loudly, covering her mouth with her hand.

Papy liked her smile. It was cute. She had a little gap between her front teeth. It was also cute.

“I’m glad. That helps a lot… Actually, I have a reason as to why.” She dug in her pants’ pockets and pulled out a phone. It was different from the other one. “My new phone came in, but not all of my contacts transferred. You were one of them.” She unlocked it and handed it to him, “I was wondering if you still wanted to text… It’s my turn to be creepy. A couple of my friends up front saw us talking last week, and told me that you usually come grocery shopping on Sundays…”

Sans snorted at that, “so you waited around to find him!? jeesh, kid, that’s a new creepy, even for you!” She glared at him, her cheeks puffing out. He laughed before shrugging. “it’s whatever. did cheese teach you that?”

“No, Sans, she did not teach me that! Good lordy! And I know it was creepy, but I just… I felt bad… I told Papy that I’d text him and I never did.”

He had just kind of watched their interaction. Her soul was fluttering again, but it seemed to alway be doing some kind of anxious movement. The type of anxious seemed to swing. She was happy-playful-anxious right now.

He reached out a hand and ruffled her hair. She looked up at him and smiled. “ _we’re good, sweetheart, don’t worry. you off today or something? first time not seeing you in uniform._ ” She nodded, looking down and picking at the solid pink sweater she wore. It suited her.

“Yeah, I’m off. Came here to stalk you and pick up some icing.” Her soul fluttered excitedly, thumping sharply. “Oh! How did that pumpkin pie for ‘the Magnificent Sans’ go? Did what I get you work for him?” She was looking at the shelf of icing, but he could feel the stall in her soul. She was waiting for an answer.

Sans nudged him. Papy shrugged, “ _it worked, alright. now, did it work **well?** i don’t know._ ” She blinked up at him. “ _blue isn’t a very good cook. or baker. rr, well, he’s bad with anything food related._ ” She let out that short giggle as she reached for a tube of black icing. “ _what are you doing with the icing, anyway?_ ”

Her thumb traced over the plastic packaging as she looked at it. “Well, a certain skeleton was supposed to come over and have dinner with us tonight. But,” she shot Sans a harsh look, “he had to cancel. ‘My family vetoed on me hanging out tonight. Said we haven’t had enough time together in a while.’” Her impression of Sans was hilarious. “So Cheese, Peebs, and Chip are making a skeleton cake. I’m making a grave. We need icing.”

“aw, kid, i’m sorry. you can ask papy, though, they really did veto!” There was a playful apologeticness to his voice. She shot him a sarcastic look. Papy was amazed that she even knew him. “what flavor cake is it?”

“The skeleton is being made out of a blue raspberry cake mix. The grave will be chocolate.” She grabbed a big thing of solid white icing this time. She held it beside Sans’ face, then tried to hold it beside Papy’s. He crouched down to entertain her. “Thank you, Papy. At least _one_ of you two gets how to please a girl.” She seemed so much happier than before. Relaxed. _Flirty,_ by some stretch of the imagination. But she wasn’t flirting. She was being happy.

“ _are you comparing the icing to our complexion?_ ” Papy asked jokingly. She nodded and placed it in the basket on her arm. He realized he still had her phone. His number was already put in the contact area. When did he do that?

The name on the contact read ‘tol relaxed orange skelly.’ He saved the contact. It took him to the contact screen. He knew he shouldn’t have read the contacts there, but right above his contact was ‘tol CRAZY orange skelly.’ So she knew Papyrus too, huh? How had they never mentioned you before? It was so strange.

He handed the cell back to her. She smiled and thanked him. She looked at Sans and squinted. “If you ask Cheese really, _really_ nicely, I’m certain she’d let me bring you a piece of the chocolate cake over. And some for Papyrus. But _you_ gotta ask. She’s pissed that you’re flaking out on us.”

The shorter smirked at her, “i know that she and i used to date, kid, but we’re not a couple anymore. she can be pissed at me all she wants. just tell her that i want some of that cake and that i’ll come hang out later this week.” Papy blinked at this. Sans had dated before? Sans had dated another _monster_ before? He had known this skeleton for almost six years! What the hell!? Why was he just learning all of this?

She rolled her eyes. Then she looked at Papy. “Oh, are you hanging out with those two tonight too? I’ll bring over some cake for you then. Will… other… Sans be there as well?”

“ _you can call him blue,_ ” Papy said. She shrugged to herself. Her soul was thrumming with excitement. “ _there’ll be six of us._ ”

She nodded, then said offhandedly, “I forget that there are three universes worth of monsters all crashing here. Two skeletons for each one, huh?” The duo nodded. “Then that means that scary and creepy will be there. Great. Haven’t met those two yet.”

A chirpy ringtone rang through the air. Papy saw a picture of Cheese on the phone again. Was there a Cheese from his universe? He meant to ask Blue. She sighed and answered.

Sans grinned at him, raising a brow bone up curiously. Papy shrugged.

“I’m taking cake to the skellies tonight, Cheese. Yes, Sans found out. I know. I'm sorry, but I offered. There's no way we'll eat that much cake." A second of silence from her. "Yes I have the icing. I love you!" Phone call ended. She looked between the two. "So are you at your place tonight Sans or…?"

"you remember frisk?" Oh, one of the ambassadors?

"...How could I forget that wonderful child?" She had met that kid? They were one of the most highly protected people in the monster community!? Just how close was she with Sans?

"you remember their house?"

"No." She shook her head. "Look, I'm not driving out all the way to Ebott City to give you a piece of cake. I get paid minimum wage and gas is expensive right now."

"i'll come getcha."

"Why not get just the cake then?"

"...bored."

"...you just wanna tease Cheese, don't you, asshole?"

"yeah."

The pair talked like old friends. Papy grinned. He hadn't seen Sans this relaxed around any other human before. It was adorable.

They spoke for another minute. "so i'll be out at seven to getcha."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll write my will right away, since it's so important that we hang out and Cheese will kill me." She shrugged and walked off. "Later, Sans."

"later, kid."

Another moment of silence. " _so you've dated before?_ "

"yup."

" _why am i just now hearing of this?_ "

"...i have no idea, actually."


	5. Gang's All Here, part one (Sans)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where she leaves to hang out with all the skeletons.  
> There's a lot of cake involved.
> 
> **SANS THIRD PERSON POV**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changing the chapter description boxes, with updated description formats and the chapter's character POV.  
> Also changing the main description a bit. Taking out the self-insert bit to put in an end note. This is where the self-insert aspect dies, and the reader-insert part really starts. Time for the fluff. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Sans popped in her house at seven oh-three. If he had been exactly on time, Cheese would've made some drastic claim that he'd be on time for _her_ but not for the entire family. And he didn't feel like admitting that he had been on time there just for her. Despite the fact that he and Cheese were still incredibly close friends, it still bugged him how she would try to point out his crush on her.

He didn't need her to do that. He didn't _want_ her to do that. The kid didn't need to know about his feelings towards her. He wanted his relationship with her to stay the same. He liked being able to flirt with her under the pretense that it was all for fun.

So he popped in. The kid was standing there, glaring at her door frame (and him, since that's where he appeared) with her arms crossed angrily. Her cheeks were puffed out. She was adorable. "Three minutes, you fuck." He shrugged lazily. He really loved seeing her get somewhat bent out of shape over her plans.

"y'act like it's the end of the world, kid." She rolled her eyes and approached him, the bag on her back jangling with her movements. "so, we just goin' or are you gonna tell cheese and everyone goodbye?" He had his answer when she pushed him out of the way.

"Cheesy! Chip! Peebs! I'm leaving with Sans!" At that, three excited sets of footsteps ran through the house and up to her room. Chip slid by the door, on all fours and not being able to stop. The short bear monster knocked into a table, but she grinned and ran back for the kid. Cheese followed, jumping over Chip and skidding to a stop excitedly. Her fur bristled a little bit at the sight of Sans, but she shot him her winning smile. PB was the last one to come into sight; he took his time, slinking along the walls and sinking into his sweatshirt when he saw all the girls around.

As usual, the eldest of the siblings jumped and pulled the kid to her chest. Cheese ran her hand over her head protectively, "You treat my baby good now, y'hear, Sansy? If she's hurt, I'll kick yer ass!" The kid pushed away from her, an embarrassed flush on her cheeks as she stared up at the fox monster.

"Cheese! Stop it! I'm just going to hang out with him and Papyrus!" She huffed and walked back towards Sans, setting her hand on his shoulder. She mumbled, "I love you guys… Don't do anything dumb while I'm out, okay?"

The trio nodded. Chip spoke up next, excitedly jumping up and down. "Oh, you're so cute! Love you, sis!" PB nodded in agreement, averting his eyes to glare at Sans. The cat monster had always disliked Sans. It appears that his dislike was severe today. Sans winked at him. He hissed.

Cheese smacked him on the head, "You stop that! I know you don't want her to leave but. She's, uh, she's an adult! Yeah! She can make her own - albeit stupid - decisions! Besides, this means we can do veggie tacos tonight!"

She rolled her eyes and gripped Sans' shoulder a bit tighter. "Then we're leaving, right Sans?"

"yeah, we're outtie. though i know you can't _bear_ to part, i'd be _fe_ -lyin' to you if i said i'd _fox_ you some pictures of our good times!" With that, he pulled her through the void.

As he closed up the entrance to the void, he heard PB say, "Who even uses a fax machine anymore?"

She had moved her grip to his sleeve, looking around the void casually. Sans smiled at her, the gentle smile he used whenever he didn't have to be a dick, and watched as she stepped onto the nothingness with ease. Six years of void hopping had lead to her being quite comfortable in the expanse of nothing and everything.

"Can we stay for a moment or two? I'd like to see Virgo. She's my favorite, and," she dug through her bag, "I figured you haven't spoiled her in a while." Sans rolled his eyelights at her behavior; Virgo was one of his most powerful Blasters, a strong and intimidating pack mother. But the Blaster melted when the kid was around.

She emptied her bag in the space before her, the objects floating in the nothingness as she searched for what she wanted. "yeah, i got her." Sans focused on his link with the Blasters, calling out for Virgo. He sensed another Blaster with her. "there's another blaster with her. that alright?"

"Yeah." She grabbed a container from before her. The gravity returned to it as she opened it up. Mini-treats. They were bone-shaped. She noticed that he was watching her. "Bone cookies because you were flaking out on us and we wanted to eat you."

She jumped at a sudden chirp - one much higher than Virgo's - and turned on her heel. The pack mother was floating before her, another Blaster - a runt by the name of Spica - beside her. The kid smiled up at her, extending her hand for the Blaster to nudge. When Virgo touched her hand with her snout, she leaned against her. "Hey sweetie." She pulled a treat out. "I brought you something, since your daddy's not nice enough to treat you well."

Sans snorted at that. He knew that her words were meant to tease him, but it was adorable to see how maternal she got over the Blaster. Virgo purred as she was fed the treat. Spica got one, too, chirping excitedly as she munched on it.

"okay, they're fed. get your stuff together or your invitation to hand out with us will be null and _void_. " She stuck her tongue out at him and shoved her things back into her bag, petting the Blasters a couple more times before walking back to him. He extended his hand, "ready, princess?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "Yeah, yeah, sir knight. Let's get this show on the road." He dramatically waved his hand, ripping open a hole in space-time at the Monster Embassy. Frisk, Fell, and Chara were standing out front, jumping excitedly when they saw Sans appear. The three children were big fans hers, and when they heard she was coming to the 'skellie family dinner', they had demanded to come over.

She was bombarded by the twelve-year-olds. They hugged her and pulled her around, showing off their newest moves and clothes. Chara showed off the round-house kick Alphys had been teaching them. Frisk demonstrated how well they could split. Fell was especially proud of their new dress. She grinned and ruffled each of their hair, commenting on how nice it was to see all three of them spending time together.

The kids adored her.

He walked up beside her, shoving his hands in his pockets as he did. "sup, kiddos?" The three turned their heads to him and grinned. It was creepy how in-sync they were with each other.

"BROTHER!" Ah, Papyrus. Sweet Papyrus. "HAVE YOU RETURNED WITH OUR DEAR HUMAN?"

She looked at the talled skeleton when he approached the group. "Papyrus!" She threw her arms around him. "Oh, sweet, tol skelly, I have missed you. You were supposed to call me a couple weeks ago! I might've got my new phone, but my number didn't change."

His brother actually looked flustered underneath her gaze. "I APOLOGIZE, DEAR. I HAVE BEEN PREPARING THIS GET-TOGETHER FOR AGES!"

"oh yeah, bro. you've been working yourself-"

"SANS!"

"-to the bone."

She groaned loudly. But it was joined by two others. She noticed; she shut her trap and looked for the other two voices. The kids had scampered off, so it hadn't been them. Sans already knew that Boss and Blue were around, but it was interesting to see her look for them.

It was a wonder she hadn't interacted with the other universes' versions of himself and his brother. But, no time like the present, right?

" **THERE'S ANOTHER HUMAN YOU HANG AROUND WITH, SANS?** " Ah, there was Boss. She turned around and looked up at him. He looked at her. His cheekbones flushed slightly.

She had that effect on people.

" _Ah! It's my lady!_ " Blue was right behind Boss, bounding up to her with a bright smile. The 'my lady' comment was filed under 'the kid' in Sans' mind. " _You hate puns too?_ " She nodded hesitantly, a smile flitting over her lips.

" **I THINK THE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION IS: WHY IS THIS HUMAN HERE, SANS?** "

"did papy not tell you guys? she's a buddy of papyrus' and mine. we're eating dinner with her tonight." He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. She had that nervous flush on her cheeks, and she was picking at her sweater with her hands. Her nervousness was at full blast, then.

Boss could be intimidating, but Sans noticed how he hadn't gone all out on frightening her. He was trying, at least. Probably felt the nervousness radiating off of her overly-expressive soul.

" **AH. SPEAKING OF HIM… WHERE IS HE?** "

" _over here, bro._ " And the other two finally make their appearance. She was stiff now, hands tugging at her sleeves or fingers rubbing together. He needed to get her a rubix cube; at least her fiddling would be useful. Papy had his hands shoved in his pockets, cigarette caught between his teeth. Red was behind him, sweating up a storm as he ground his teeth together.

The six skeletons stood around her. She backed up closer to Sans and Papyrus. There was a swell of pride in Sans' soul that she felt like she was safer around him. He knew to chalk that up to her not being completely familiar with the other four quite yet. (But it did make him feel good about himself, nonetheless.)

"Oh. Uh." Papyrus set a hand on her shoulder. Sans could almost _see_ the positivity flow from his brother to her. She nodded, almost as if trying to assure herself that everything would be alright. "It's nice to meet everyone. Well, _again_ in Blue and Papy's case." She introduced herself, dipping her head slightly. "I hope y'all like cake. I… brought a lot of it."


	6. Gang's All Here, part two (Sans)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where some exposition happens, but also some shenanigans.
> 
> **SANS THIRD PERSON POV**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going back through and changing a couple formatting things about the story.  
> The Fell brothers get their text **bolded**. The Swap brothers get their text _italicized._ And the Tale brothers get nothing, because they're boring.  
>  Also tweaking a couple chapters for flow. Whatevs, though.  
> There will be a part three to this "arc" (I guess?). When will that come out?  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

After a few moments of awkward silence, she had sighed and pointed at Red. Sans raised a brow bone at that. Red? What was she doing, pointing at him like that? "Who are _you_ , amigo?" The sweating skeleton apparently hadn't expected that since the red magic in his left eye flared.

" **me?** " he repeated. Sans thought his voice was low, but Red's scratched at gravel. He could see her practically swoon at that - she always had loved rough voices.

She nodded and walked towards him, setting her hands on her hips. Her anxiousness and nervousness were fading; the ever-confident conversationalist was making an appearance. "Yep, you, buddy. Who are you? I know _these_ two," she gestured at Papyrus and Sans, "and I'm acquainted with Blue and Papy. So. That leaves you, Creepy." She looked at Boss. "And you, Pasta."

Sans snorted. So did Papy. She had made a joke without knowing it. Well, a _double_ joke. Being avid perusers of the internet, both lazy skeletons were acquainted with creepypastas. Her joke made sense. But, Boss' love of spaghetti was (probably) beyond her. The Fell brothers glared between the two snorters before looking back at her.

" **name's red.** " Could he possibly sweat anymore? He couldn't even look her in the eyes. When she got in her 'element', she radiated confidence and positivity. Positivity wasn't well recepted by some people, especially so for those two.

She nodded, turning on her heel to look at Boss. "Alright, and you are?" Hands on her hips once more, a smile starting to form on her face. The taller skeleton was clearly unsure of how to receive her attitude. Sans grinned at how Boss even started to sweat. It was very slight, but it was still there. Clearly a bit nervous (not that he'd admit it). That patient grin was _visibly_ throwing him off. Six years later, and he still didn't quite get how to act around people _not_ yelling or screaming at him.

" **BOSS.** " She smiled again, that gentle smile that he had seen thousands of times. She always seemed so rough around the edges but she really was a soft human being. Boss looked down when she extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Boss!" Sans watched with bated breath (bated magic?), doubtful that Boss would attack her but still a bit worried nonetheless. The intimidating skeleton relented after a moment of consideration, wrapping his large gloved hand around hers. She shook it firmly, then turned back to Red. "And to you too, friendo." She extended her hand to him. He bristled and looked away.

She nodded and smiled, letting her hand fall back beside her. "Okay, no touching. Gotcha." She looked back to the others. There was a moment of stillness before the kids were back on them, climbing onto and over the skeletons to get to her with promises of playing on the jungle gym behind the embassy.

" _Can I join you, kids and lady?_ " They all looked at Blue, who was staring at them with those big stars in his eyes again. She looked between Fell, Frisk, and Chara, then nodded. He launched himself into the air with excitement, " _Mweh heh heh! Let's play then!_ "

Sans watched as the group walked around the embassy. She lagged behind, eyes shooting to Sans and Papyrus before she rounded the corner. When her eyes lingered on his younger brother, he looked at him. Oh stars, he had the look. The 'I want to join them, too' look.

She had stopped now, calling out to the children about something. She smiled, then laughed, then walked back towards them. "Papyrus!" His eyes rounded out, giving him a cartoonish look. "How much 'preparation' is left for dinner?"

"NOT MUCH, WHY?"

"Well, you want some help? Ya clearly wanna come play with us, but it's best we get everything done before that, right? So, let's get it done and we can go-" At this, Papyrus picked her up and hugged her tightly.

"OH! THANK YOU, DEAR! THAT IS WONDERFUL!" She was laughing against him, wrapping her arms around his rib cage and hugging him back. Sans grinned at that. The pair bid everyone adieu and walked back into the embassy.

So that left four _very uncomfortable_ skeletons standing outside. Boss and Red clearly had no idea how to handle her, both stock still and looking at the door she had disappeared into. Papy had his hands shoved into his hoodie's pockets. " _so…_ "

Sans shrugged. Question time, it seemed. To be aloof or honest and outright, though, that was the question. He looked amongst them, "so?"

" **...DIFFERENT.** " The three looked at Boss. " **SHE'S DIFFERENT. HER SOUL IS VERY...** "

" **expressive, right? didn't even have ta see it ta know what emotion was comin' off of it.** " Red was nodding to himself. Sans could see the cogs turning in his counterpart's head, the scientist within him being activated. " **not many souls are that expressive.** "

"yeah. she's a bit of an anomaly." He shrugged, "though, she _has_ been that way since i met her."

" _six years ago, yeah? right when we all came flooding into this world._ " The Fell brothers glanced at Papy. " _you met her soon after the barrier was broken?_ " Sans nodded.

"right. she was in a rough patch and cheese took her in." He looked between Red and Boss and explained, "cheese was my girlfriend at the time. her little group basically adopted her and took care of her." They nodded. Sans was about to delve into her life story a bit more, but she and Papyrus darted out of the doorway and towards the playset, laughing the whole way. "oh. they got done quick."

"SANS! SHE STOLE MY SPOON!"

"You set a WOODEN SPOON on an OPEN FLAME, Papyrus! I'm never letting you use it again!" She laughed maniacally, waving the spoon around in the air. Sans couldn't help himself. He waved his hand, initiating a "fight" with her and using his blue magic on her soul. She froze in place, but was able to turn her head and look at him. "Sans!" She glared at him playfully. "You know I hate it when you do that!"

"then give papyrus back the spoon, kid."

"Did you not hear me!? He set it on an open flame! It's a wooden spoon!" The playfulness to her soul was starting to sour a bit. Shit, she didn't know he was joking. "Sans!!" He waved the magic away, cutting through space/time to appear next to her. She handed him the spoon. "An open flame. And not a magic one! A real one."

"...you checked to see if it was a magic flame?"

"...... _yeeeaaaaaaaaaaah_ ………"

She was an idiot. "show me your hand." She rolled her eyes and placed her dominant hand in his palm. He looked it over, twisting and turning it to find the tell-tale mark of her stupidity. Sure enough, an angry red blister was forming on the side of her pinky finger. "you're an idiot."

"Yeah but at least I checked to make sure Papyrus wasn't going to burn the embassy down." She shrugged and looked up at Papyrus. "Not that you'd do it on purpose, Paps."

"NON TAKEN, DEAR. I DO TRY TO KEEP THE BURNING OF BUILDINGS TO A MINIMUM." Her grin widened at his answer. "BUT… DO YOU NEED SOME SORT OF CREAM FOR THAT WOUND?"

"nah, some monster candy would do it, bro." Sans looked up at his brother. "give her the really sour kind, though. she did something stupid so she can eat the sour one."

She faked a cry, "Not the sour one! Give me the Monster Whoppers! Those taste the best!!" Papyrus went off to find the candy while Sans kept her still. When he was out of earshot, she said, "I really thought it was a magic flame, so I had to check. Better safe than sorry, right?"

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, seeing her smiling to herself. So proud that she hurt herself for the sake of everyone else. "that seems like the beginning of a martyr complex."

She looked at him and shrugged. "Could be worse, I guess. Dying sounds pretty good, and if it's for a good cause I'm all for it." Her soul halted for a second. Wasn't as bright as before.

The casual talk of dying worried Sans a bit. Reminded him of himself when he had just shown up on the surface for the last time. Her soul had been so expressive for the last few months, he had thought that she had her "issue" (as she called it) taken care of. The sudden halt in emotion was jarring.

She noticed his silence. "Did it do it again?" she asked. He nodded. "Fuck. I promise I'm not about to have an episode but…"

"but?"

"Ugh, I hate it when you get me to spill my guts."

"better not do that, or you'll be looking like me." She snorted at that. "but what's up?"

"I HAVE FOUND THE MONSTER CANDY!" Papyrus had returned. Her soul brightened up again. He gently placed a Monster Whopper in her free hand, and she smiled at it before munching on it. "THE SOUR CANDIES ARE THE WORST, SO I DUG AROUND AND FOUND TORIEL'S HIDDEN SWEETS!"

"Ah, dang, _Tori's_ been hiding these in here? She never shares when I visit…" She fake pouted, taking her hand from Sans' and investigating her healing blister. "S'whatevs, though. Thanks for the candy, Papyrus." She grinned at him. "Victory kiss?"

"VICTORY KISS!" He bent down so she could kiss his cheek. "AH, YOU'RE TRUE FEELINGS ARE SHOWING!"

"Only for you, amigo, only for you. Now, is it dinner time yet? I'm hungry and I have a _lot_ of cake to get rid of tonight."

Sans grinned, " _cakes_ so much for that, by the way."

"SANS."


	7. Gang's All Here, part three (Sans)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where dinner and work happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *mumbles* depression hurts, cymbalta can help.  
> TW: mentions of depression, bpd, and anxiety disorder. The beginning of her 'mental cocktail'!
> 
> Anyways, this "arc" (still hesitant to call it that) is complete! Guess what's happening next? The slowest of burns but probably not because I love love!

Chara had claimed the seat to her right, Frisk to her left, and Fell in her lap. She grinned and chatted with them as they all ate, not noticing the smug looks they would send their skeletons. Sans noticed how Frisk would smile over at him, sticking a bite of pasta into their mouth and winking. It was aggravating, to say the least.

She looked over at him when Chara said something, blinking twice before smiling and looking back at the child. Sans glanced over at Papyrus. His little brother was talking about some puzzles excitedly with Blue, "YES, SHE IS _EXCEPTIONALLY_ GOOD AT PUZZLES." He rolled his eye lights and looked over at Papy, who was discussing something with Boss and Red casually.

"Oh, dang it," she mumbled, "Fell, my phone's vibrating in my butt pocket." The child giggled, but got up so she could reach for her phone. She pulled it out with one hand and pulled Fell back into her lap with the other. It was by her ear in a second. Conversation had died down when she answered, "Hello?" She slumped forward when the person on the other end responded. "Heya, boss. Whatcha need?"

Her soul was losing its emotional brightness again, halting and then dropping. Sans watched as she rubbed her forehead. He caught her eyes and signed something, 'You alright?' She shook her head.

"So you need me, bright and early tomorrow? ...yeah, I know that you're calling me in on my day off. It's my day off… Can I come in closer towards ten? ...Okay, see you then." She hung up and set her phone on the table, cuddling Fell closer. (They dropped their fork and pouted for a split second.) Frisk leaned their head against her shoulder, and Chara held her hand on the table.

Papy broke the silence, " _work?_ " She nodded. " _they're calling you in? isn't your job, like, closed right now?_ "

"Well, yeah, we're closed right now... But, it's not that simple in my department." She sighed. She was forcing herself not to be bummed out. "We have to pick all our customer's orders throughout the day, and now they're short a picker. Again. Coworker got sick - or hurt, I don't know - and now they need another picker. I'm trained in it, so…" Her head went back into Fell's hair. She faked a cry, "And I had chores to do tomorrow!"

Fell laughed and playfully pushed at her head, "Hey! Don't get your grossness in my hair!" Dramatic sniff. "I'm not kidding, buddy!"

" **...YOU HAVE A JOB?** " Oh, shit, no one told Boss or Red. Huh.

She looked over at him, setting her chin on Fell's head and pulling Frisk and Chara close to her. "Yeah. I work at the supermarket. Typically stay in the back, but… Eh." She shrugged. "I guess that means I get time and a half, at least. Which is cool, I like having money. But..."

Her soul was struggling. Sans wanted to reach out and tell her it would be okay. " **why didn't you tell 'em no?** "

She looked at her plate suddenly, hesitant. "Can't."

"YES YOU CAN, DEAR!" Papyrus looked over at Red, "SHE HATES DISAPPOINTING PEOPLE, YOU SEE. ESPECIALLY HER BOSS AND COWORKERS." She was flushed now, pressing her face into Frisk's hair to hide herself. "SHE DOES THIS MORE OFTEN THAN SHE'D LIKE TO ADMIT, BECAUSE SHE'S VERY EXCEPTIONALLY KIND! BUT, SHE STRESSES HERSELF OUT BY DOING THIS SOMETIMES."

"Papyrus!" she whined. "I just don't want them to think less of me. If they don't like me, they could decide to cut my hours, and if they cut my hours I won't be making as much, and if I'm short on money then--" She cut herself off. "Well, I just need the money." And, once again, her soul had dulled. Her emotions weren't nearly as bright. "I just, I really have stuff that needs done tomorrow. Important stuff."

Blue's turn, " _Like what?_ " She looked back at her plate.

"Well. Uh," her soul was fluttering anxiously, "well, I have an appointment." She wasn't looking at anyone. Sans knew she was avoiding telling the truth - well, the _whole_ truth. "Doctor's. Gotta go in and get a check up. It's at eight in the morning, but… those appointments take a while and they take a lot out of me… But I already agreed so I'll just have to tough it out." Once she got a lie in her head, she could make it sound exceptionally true.

" _What's the appointment for, lady?_ " Her eyes (and Sans') shot to Blue. Sans almost snorted; the little guy had seen right through her half-lie. He wasn't being mean or accusatory, though, he was looking at her softly. " _You don't look sick._ "

"I, uh. Shit! Welp, caught me. I'm not sick. Ugh, sorry. I hate throwing all my issues onto the board on the first date. It's honestly the worst thing about me." He wanted to hug her. She had done this same thing when he first met her. "I'm going to see my psychiatrist. My mental and emotional doctor. I have an issue… with my… chemicals." Sans and Papyrus already knew about this. He sent a look to Red and Papy, who were looking at her with understanding (and curious) eyes. She touched her brain, "Humans, as y'all know, have brains. Our brains regulate everything... mine's a little off."

Boss was leaning forward now, " **OFF? OFF HOW?** " He didn't have a condescending tone, which had caused almost all the skeletons to jump. Was he… actually interested in this?

"I don't produce a lot of serotonin. A, uh, 'happiness hormone', I guess. 'Cause of that, I have… an issue…" She wasn't going to say it outright, was she? Her soul was so quiet… "I'm bipolar, well, _manic-depressive._ But I have depression on top of that." She lifted her hand up, staring down at her fingers as she counted off. Her voice was monotone. "Bipolar, depression, anxiety disorder, severe self-esteem issues…" Cue her sarcastic laugh. "It's a cocktail of 'oh so special'." She shrugged and sighed. "S'whatevs, though. It happens… Oh, shit, I just ruined the mood." Her soul was sputtering back to life. Disappointed, angry life, but life nonetheless. "Dang it! I wanted everyone to be happy and now--"

"But, big sis," she looked over at Chara, "we are happy! You're here. You were just explainin', not doin' anything bad." At this Frisk and Fell started nodding excitedly. "'Sides, aren't you the one that's always saying 'love yourself like I love you'?"

This got a grin out of her, "Did you call me big sis, and are you saying that you love me?"

"Gross! I never said that!"

"I love you, big sis!" Frisk threw their arms around her and Fell. "You're the best!"

Her soul was tired. Alive and tired. She smiled again, though, "Well, you three are a delight. Are delights? I dunno, but you're exuding sweetness. Let's fill your sweetness levels back up with cake, yeah?" They shot up at 'cake'. "Go get the big bin out of my bag, and bring a big knife." At 'big knife', they all looked uncomfortable for half a second before nodding. She looked at her plate. "I promise I really _am_ fun when I'm not dealing with my issues."

" _sounds like you need a hug,_ " Papy said casually. A flare of jealousy sparked in Sans' chest. It's just Papy, though. Just a friendly hug.

"Oh stars, _please._ " The tall orange skeleton got up and walked to her, bending down and wrapping his arms around her. "I love hugs. Oh my lordy, they are the best." She tightened her arms around him. "Though… nothing's like a good Papyrus hug." Sans hadn't even realized that she was looking at his brother.

He oh so desperately wanted to give her a hug.

"YES, THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE A HUG FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" His brother shot up and over to the pair, picking them both up and hugging.

" _I give wonderful hugs, too! The magnificent Sans is a wonderful hug-giver!_ " Blue was angry-pouting. Adorable.

"Then join us? The more, the merrier." Sans glanced over at Boss and Red. Boss was still leaning against the table, looking at the group of huggers with confused disdain. Red was leaning back in his chair, sweating as Blue ran past him to hug her.

Sans just shrugged and got up to join in. Hugs weren't all bad, right? Red locked eye lights with him, sending him a question with a look. ' **is this normal for her?** '

He nodded and gave him that lazy smile. 'completely.' He looked between her and Red, tilting his head towards her. 'she wouldn't mind another person.'

' **but she barely knows me!** '

'she barely knows Papy and Blue, and look at how they're all snuggling.'

A chair screeched, and the group turned to look at Boss. He moved to loom over the group of huggers, staring at them. Her soul was alive in seconds, stuttering with a mix of fear and excitement. "You wanna hug, too, Boss?" The four skeletons broke away from her. She held her arms up to him. "You'll have to pick me up to get a proper one, mister giant."

He squinted at her, looked over her body, before stiffly reaching down and picking her up. She wrapped her legs around his nonexistent toros, heels locking behind his spine as she hugged him. He held her there for a moment. " **YOU'RE SHAKING.** "

"It happens. I like feeling like I'm cared about, and sometimes I shake when I'm happy." She tightened her arms around him, "I thought you didn't like me."

" **I DON'T _DISLIKE_ YOU.** " She was visibly shaking at this point. " **...I SUPPOSE YOU COULD BE INTERESTING.** "

Sans looked back at Red, who was sweating up a storm. He had that smug-ass grin on his face. 'so what's your excuse now?'

"OOOH, BOSS! LOOK AT YOU! YOU'RE BEING SO FRIENDLY! WONDERFUL!"

" _wasn't expecting that outta you, bro._ "

" _Can the hugging continue?_ "

"Yes! Hugs please!"

Sans walked past Red with that smirk, joining in on the hug fest. After a moment of contemplating it, the other joined. Sans could feel the positivity moving towards her. She really did love being cared about.

Chara dropped the cake pan. "We leave for three minutes and you all start hugging without us?"

Frisk screamed, "WHY ARE YOU SMOTHERING BIG SIS!?"

Fell jumped into the group, "I LOVE HUGS!"


	8. Stalked (Red)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Red picks her up from work.
> 
> **RED THIRD PERSON POV**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm thinking I'm gonna do a couple chapters (maybe three?) exclusively on how the Tale bros met the reader, and why Cheese, Chip, and PB have her living with them. One will be in her first person POV, but the other two are debatable at this point. *shrugs* They'll probably be spread out amongst the next few chapters (so, not consecutively). They'll be marked like normal chapters, but will have SIX YEARS AGO before the actual title. (ie XXX SIX YEARS AGO: SOME STUPID TITLE). So, yeah.
> 
> Anyways, working for eleven hours sucks! :D

Sans' phone was ringing.

Well, the _other_ Sans'. Not Red's. His phone was _not_ ringing. But Sans' phone was still ringing.

" **sans! your phone!** " Red barked out from his spot on the couch. When the other skeleton didn't respond, he screamed out, " **COME GET YOUR FUCKING PHONE, ASSHOLE.** " Still no response. Where the fuck did he go? Maybe the caller would just give up and leave a voicemail…

No such luck. The phone had accumulated six voicemails, one every thirty seconds, and it continued to ring. Throwing his head back, Red reached for it before throwing it onto the couch. What the hell!? Why was Cake calling Sans!? The phone landed with the screen up and he leaned forward to look at the photo ID.

It wasn't Cake, thank the stars. It was _his_ universe's version of Cake, a fox monster by the name of Cheese. Why was she calling him? He shrugged. Might as well answer; he could change his voice just enough to sound like Sans. She probably wouldn't even know the difference.

" **yo?** " he asked as he set the phone beside his head, where an ear would be on a human.

"Ah, goodness, it took you long enough! Where the hell are you!?" He blinked, holding the phone away from his non-existent ear. Her voice wasn't nearly as piercing as Cake's but it was still up there.

" **what the hell do you mean?** " he said, trying to emulate that smug coolness Sans always had on the phone.

"'What the hell do I mean?' Sans, she's at work still! She's been waiting for you to go pick her up, asshat! Don't tell me you forgot!"

" **nah, i-i didn't.** " Fuck, there's the stutter. She's going to know it's not him. " **i'll pop over in a second.** "

"Thank you! Lord, it's like pulling teeth to get you to do anything!" She huffed through the phone, "Don't forget again, bonehead. See you later! Loves!" Loves? Did she really just say _loves_? But, she and Sans weren't together anymore, so why would she say that?

" **yeah, later.** " He hung up the phone and set it back on the couch. So she was still at work, huh? And Sans was supposed to go get her? ...the blue fuck was always hounding over her, so it seemed odd that he would forget her. He shrugged; might as well let the fuck know that he's late. " **sans! your girlfriend's still at work!** "

No response again. Delightful.

Well, she was stranded if Sans didn't go get her. Not his problem. She should've made backup plans.

Definitely not his issue...

Ugh.

He couldn't just leave her there in good consciousness. He might've just met the girl, but he wasn't a _complete_ asshole that would just abandon her. Especially since he just faked being Sans on his way to pick her up. Where did she work again? That supermarket that Papy and Sans went to all the time, right? Welp.

Ugh. He didn't want to move, but he couldn't throw Sans under the bus or knowingly leave her there.

Red forced space/time open, the void welcoming him in for the span of a couple seconds. He immediately stepped back out in front of the supermarket. The place was crowded, even out front. Families and couple wandering the front porch, picking up pumpkins and other fall decorations for their houses.

He hated being here.

All he had to do was get her and take her home. Simple enough. Now, where was she? Where was the lady with the expressive soul?

He closed his eyes and felt. They snapped open when he felt the powerful thrumming through the ground, a clear sign of her anxiety and worry. " **gotcha, doll.** " He turned on his heel, sending glares to anyone (human or monster) that dared look his way.

There, on a bench beside the door, she sat. Her eyes scanned over the crowd, stopping on Red and widening. The anxious thrumming stopped. A wave of relief hit next.

...why the hell would she be so relieved to see him? It's not like they were friends.

She stood up and rushed to him, blinking at him before setting her head in her hands. She started shaking. Oh no. He knew those shakes. Those were crying shakes. " **what happened?** " he asked through hisses, the caring side he seldom showed off coming out.

She looked up at him and shook again. Her soul was giving him a panic attack with how anxious and afraid it was again. "There's this guy, I, I worked with him a few months ago! I told him to fuck off and!"

Red got the picture, looking over the crowd in search of the guy giving the doll any trouble. He pulled her closer to him for a hug. She was still shaking, softly sniffling and trying not to cry loudly. Her soul was relieved, anxious, and scared. It was terrifying to feel all three emotions so heavily. " **he been givin' you trouble, doll?** " he hissed out, pressing his hand against her back.

"I didn't want to walk away from the store to look for Sans or someone because he's been known to try and pick-up girls." She had her head buried in between his neck and his clavicle, and her hands were clenching his shirt just beneath his rib cage. Every part of her shook. How scared was she? "He's fifteen years older than me, and I'm frightened because I'm part of the reason he got fired. And now he's after me and!"

" **he so much as _looks_ at you the wrong fuckin' way, i'll rip his head off _myself_.** " Red's instinct said to find him and get rid of him before he could touch her, but his soul said that he needed to calm her down and make her feel safe. " **i gotcha, doll.** "

"Thank you, Red." Her soul seemed to be washed over, an extreme sense of happiness and sleepiness rushing over him. She was happy? That he was watching her back?

...it was honestly adorable, fuck.

He could feel the magic rushing to form a red blush on his cheek bones. He couldn't let her see that. Change the subject. " **wasn't Sans supposed to pick you up?** "

"Yeah. Cheesy said she got a hold of him… That was you, right?" She pulled away, but wasn't looking at him. She was rubbing at her eyes. "Thanks for coming, though. For once, I'm glad it was someone other than Sans."

That surprised him. She and the _normal_ skeletons seemed especially close; she and Sans were even closer. " **why?** "

"This is gonna sound exceptionally bad, but Sans… Has a tendency to forget me and go on his 'you hurt her' crusades. I'm not gonna lie, it's nice that he wants to protect me, but sometimes I shouldn't be left alone after something that terrifying happens." His blush was gone when she looked up at him. "I'm actually… surprised? Surprised. You stayed with me. Thank you so much, Red."

There was that stupid gentle smile. She was an idiot.

" **yer welcome.** " He snapped and looked away in order to hide his returning blush. She was so easy to understand, what with how her soul thumped so happily. " **so, you're supposed to go home, right?** "

"Well, yeah. But… Well." She poked her fingers together. "Cheese is doing veggie tacos tonight and I don't do that. So… shit, I don't want you to have to do anything."

" **just say it and i'll veto it if i have to.** "

"Canwegogetfoodbeforeyoutakemehome?" He was blinking at her now. She looked up at him pleadingly. "Please? I'll even buy for you too!"

Free food? Hell yeah.

He grinned wolfishly, " **well, since you put it that way…** " He had her hand in his, " **hope the void doesn't make you too sick.** " Space/time was once again ripped open, and they stepped within it. He looked over at her to gauge her reaction.

She looked completely comfortable, eyeing the nothingness with casual contempt. "Huh, it's the exact same."

" **what?** "

She looked over at him, "Can I see your Blasters?"

" _ **WHAT?**_ "

Her stomach grumbled as she continued to ignore his disturbed state. She pat her stomach and stared at her shoes thoughtfully. "Wait, no, food first. Blasters later. Want McDonald's?" She looked over at him again, smiling expectantly. "Red?"

He was back together. Sans. He bet he's taken her through the void. How else would she know about Blasters? " **...yeah, mcd's sounds fine.** " Another rip in space/time. They stepped out on the sidewalk beside the McDonald's.


	9. Sweet (Boss)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Boss and Red take her out drinking.
> 
> **BOSS THIRD PERSON POV**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...wow, jeez, I know none of you can see some of my WIP chapters, but god this is getting sad to read and write. But I'm good at it so I don't know how to feel.  
>  Plus (??) side: I'm hoping to throw in some new (ish) characters! They're making reappearances?? Kinda?? IDK how to put it.
> 
> (Pyro is Underfell's Grillby, by the way. You probably figured that out but... eh.)  
> (Shorter chapter? I guess. There's a lot in there, though. World building! Character building!)
> 
> I don't know if any of you creep in the comments, but commenter Yzafre posted a comment about the reader in a pile of Blasters. So, I did what I do: I delivered art.  
> http://radikewwll.deviantart.com/art/yzafre-on-AO3-caused-this-638474947
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading!

She was passed out on his couch.

Boss had no idea why she laid on his couch, cuddled into herself as she rested against the cushions. So he turned to Red, who sat in an armchair and played on his phone. The smaller skeleton felt the glare on him; he looked up to see the other. He looked like he had only just remembered something. " **oh, yeah, she's still here.** "

" **SHE's _STILL_ HERE?** " Boss hissed back. Red immediately hushed him, pointing over to the human on his couch. She grumbled and rolled a bit, burying her head into the crack where the cushions met. He rolled his eye sockets and looked back to his brother, " **WHY IS SHE _HERE_**?"

Red shrugged, " **we're gonna go out drinkin' later, and she just got off work. needs a power nap; hasn't gotten a whole hell of a lot of sleep lately. needs to play _couch_ up, so we can't make a _sleep_ , 'kay?**" Boss was unimpressed, staring at Red and his lousy attempt at humor. The finger pistols certainly weren't doing him any favors.

Wait. _Drinking?_

" **WHY ARE _YOU_ GOING OUT DRINKING WITH HER? AND _WHERE_ ARE YOU EVEN GOING?** " His arms were crossed dramatically, knowing exactly how to stand so he could come across as intimidating.

Red shrugged his shoulders (six years out of the underground had made him practically immune to Boss' intimidation factors) and looked back to his phone. " **probably to pyro's. and she's the one that suggested it, asshole. she's a pal and it's normal for pals to hang out.** "

" **YOU SAVE HER FROM _ONE_ ASSHOLE AT WORK AND SUDDENLY YOU'RE… _FRIENDS_ WITH HER? THAT SEEMS… UNLIKE YOU.** " He huffed and walked over to _his_ couch, staring down at her. Her soul was very… calm. Warm and gentle, like some kind of blanket. She seemed at peace; her face was smushed against her hands and her bottom lip jutted out slightly. Every time she breathed, her nostrils flared just a bit.

" **it's been three weeks since then, boss. we've hung out a hell of a lot since then… seems she even _likes_ me, which is cool.** " His eye sockets flew to his brother, who had that small, satisfied smile on his face. Hmm… Interesting. Boss's eye sockets lowered slightly, giving him a 'half lidded' look of concentration. Red was taking an interest in her. Probably hadn't even realized that his view of her was growing past platonic yet.

Despite their bickering, Boss knew Red like the back of his hand. And seeing how his big brother was looking at the sleeping girl on their couch… Well, it was odd. He glanced back at her. Other than her overly expressive soul, she seemed…

Not normal… _Simple? Plain? Uninteresting?_ What could possibly be drawing his brother to her? An expressive soul, while rare, wasn't the most unique thing in the world. Red should have (very _quickly_ ) gotten bored with her.

" **...you wanna come with us or something?** " Boss shot another look at his brother, who was tapping away at his phone. Before he could say _what_ or _why_ , Red continued, " **s'not our first time goin' drinkin'. she gets a little… rowdy. some extra help might be good.** "

" **NOT SURPRISING. SHE ASSOCIATES WITH… _THOSE TWO_.** " By 'those two', he meant Sans and Papyrus. The people they hung around were rowdy; she was definitely like them.

" **so you comin' with us?** "

Boss set his elbow on the arm of the couch, setting his skull in his hand as he looked at his brother. Maybe this excursion would give him some insight into what control she had over his brother.

" **I SUPPOSE.** "

\------

He hadn't touched anything alcoholic (monster or human) since they had arrived. His brother and guest, on the other hand… They were sloshed.

She wasn't so much 'rowdy' as she was 'flirty' drunk. 'Flirty' and excessively self-depreciating. Her soul couldn't even send her feelings out properly; it hiccupped with her, sending the emotions out in waves that would cut suddenly.

She mostly seemed sad. Sad and lonely and buzzed.

...did Red think he could… _fix_ her or something? Fix that loneliness in her soul? That _sadness?_

How was he supposed to do that when he was sad all the time, too?

Boss looked at the pair from the corner of his eye sockets; she was wrapped up in Red's oversized jacket, cheeks flushed dark red and glass of - was that fucking _whiskey?_ \- in her hand. She was guzzling the amber liquid like it was water. Pyro was doing nothing to stop her; every time she slammed the glass down, it was filled right back up. Red, on the other hand, had one hand on her back and the other wrapped around a 'sunny mary' (as he called his disgusting mustard and vodka combination). His cheekbones were flushed an equally dark red, sweat building up on his forehead as he touched her.

They were an odd pair of alcoholics, he noted. But they were close.

She didn't slur, despite the fact that she was drunk. She articulated every word carefully. "Red." They both looked at her. She hadn't called either one of them by their assigned names (they were **Sans** and **Papyrus** , not **Red** and **Boss** , dammit) all night. With a gentle precision, she placed her palm against his brother's face. (How did she not lose a hand?) "You're a delightful creature. I'm very lucky to have met you."

The flush spread; it covered the entirety of his skull now, the sweat starting to fall disgustingly fast. Boss had never seen his brother (sober _or_ drunk) turn that red. But… he understood his response. She sounded exceptionally sincere saying it. It was endearing to hear her say something so genuine.

"Boss." It was his turn, he guessed. He looked over at her. She climbed into Red's lap to touch his upper arm. Was the face _too intimate_ for her to touch with him? "We haven't spoken a lot yet, but you're sweet."

" **SWEET?** " The word tasted like poison to him. She nodded.

"You… you're taking care of us. Watching us." Her soul was warming slightly, the loneliness ebbing away just a bit. "That's very sweet. You're… very nice."

" **I'M MAKING SURE YOU IDIOTS DON'T DO SOMETHING STUPID.** "

" **that's s-still sw-sw-sweet o'you, brooooo.** " Ah. Great. Red was involved too. She still hadn't removed her hand. She was still staring up at him with big, wonder-filled eyes. " **makin' sure we d-don't fak up…** "

"Sweet." She nodded to herself, sipping more whiskey from the glass. "Very sweet."


	10. "The Storm" (Papyrus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where the group meets up for video binge-ing.
> 
> **PAPYRUS THIRD PERSON POV**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chapter name has little to nothing to do with the actual chapter (other than being thrown in there once) but goodness it sounds cool, doesn't it?
> 
> Anyways! I really love Papyrus but fUCK it's hard to write for him.

Papyrus couldn't stop smiling. His family sat around his dinner table; Frisk was sitting in Undyne's lap while Alphys poked at their face playfully, and Sans was discussing something critically with his dear. They had all gathered together for their once a month 'binge-a-thon' (a collection of popular shows, movies, and videos from each person's YouTube or Netflix account), and he was in charge of dinner.

It was going to be a lovely night!

"look, i just don't get why you let them work you _to the bone_ , kid."

...he takes that back. Here comes the recurring argument of how hard it was for her to say 'no' and Sans' rebuttal that saying 'frick off' (he wouldn't let Sans' profanity take a place in his head!) would make her life so much easier. Typically, he'd be against his brother's laziness… But she really should take a lesson from him and stop working herself ragged.

"Well, it's easier to pay for classes with money, right?" Oh. That wasn't the argument he had been expecting. Apparently, no one else had been expecting such a shift from the normal argument. The group looked at her. She stared back, looking between each person before she put her hand to her mouth. "Oh. I forgot to tell you guys that… Well. I signed up for a pharmacy technician class at the local vocational school."

"You did _**what**_ , punk!?" Undyne had nearly launched Frisk into the air with how fast she jumped up. She caught the child by the back of their sweater, though. They swung in her grip lazily and gave that content smile to Papyrus.

She squinted at Undyne, "I?? Signed up for?? A class?? Why are you asking that when I just?? Told you??" There was a moment of silence. "Oh. You're asking _why_ I did it, right? Well. Uh." She shrugged and chuckled anxiously. "Money, mostly. Pharm techs aren't pharmacists, but they make _way_ more than a lowly ClickList employee."

Papyrus looked at her, the bowl and whisk he had had now sitting on the counter, forgotten. She had her chin in her palm as she continued, "Besides, I can't mooch off of my sibs forever, can I? They might be the best out there," her soul warmed with happiness as she talked about them, "but I can't let them continue to take care of me like they have been. They pay for everything because I 'don't make as much as they do.' So, if I make more money, I can help pay for stuff."

Another moment of silence. She was growing anxious from the lack of responses. Papyrus felt himself smile at her noble actions. "WELL, I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA, DEAR!" Her eyes shot to him, and she smiled warmly when she saw that he had that pleased smile on his face. "WHEN WILL YOUR CLASSES START, THEN?"

"Oh. They're, uh… They start in a couple weeks? They're every Saturday, from one to six." She scratched at her cheeks, the smile still on her face. "It's nice that they're only once a week; I changed my availability so that I can't work Saturdays and now I'll at least have part of a day to relax."

"I-it's a ph-ph-pharmaceutical class?" Alphys was looking at her expectantly, her chubby yellow cheeks smushed into her hands. She nodded back. The lizard monster smiled widely, "I-I-I have an a-a-acquaintance of m-m-mine that y-y-you should t-t-talk to. They're well v-versed in human m-medications."

She blinked, her smile widening as she nodded. "Yeah, that's awesome! I'd love to talk to them. Thanks, Alph."

Undyne spoke next, "Well, if you have some free time now, you should start training with me on Saturday mornings!" She had that wolfish grin on her face, her wild red hair making her seem even more intimidating.

She froze at that, eyes blown wide as she stared at the fish. _That_ was the face of pure terror.

"UNDYNE, SHE SHOULD USE THAT TIME TO STUDY!" Papyrus shot back goodnaturedly, hoping to help worm her out of the situation. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, and she gave him a relieved smile.

She played along, "Y-yeah. Definitely. Studying." 

Undyne groaned, "Ugh, gross. But… I guess." She huffed playfully, setting Frisk in her lap and crossing her arms around them in a hug. They grinned and waved their arms.

"Big sis!" She looked over at the child. "Does this mean you'll get a new job after you graduate from the class?" Her soul fluttered a bit, then lightened up. She apparently hadn't even realized that she would get a new job; her focus had been on money.

"Oh my God, it does. Oh my God." Her soul was practically singing. "I can maybe _possibly_ get reasonable hours and not have to work a ridiculous amount of overtime!" She looked at Sans, "Oh my God, I can be a little bit lazy!"

His brother had had been uncharacteristically quiet, but he lightened up at her smile. "only a little, kid? i _sloth_ you'd be way more than _a little._ "

She punched his arm playfully, "That pun was a little bit of a stretch. It really," she stopped for dramatic comedic effect (Papyrus knew that excited smile and barely stifled giggle) before saying, " _lax_ ed in the comedy department."

"NOT YOU TOO!!!!!" he screamed before he could stop himself. The table got a laugh at his expense.

"Paps, you're smiling! You love your brother and I's puns." Her soul was _gushing_ happiness. (For how long though?)

He shot back lamely, "I AM, AND I HATE IT… AND I DO _NOT_ LOVE THEM!!" The chatter returned as the metaphorical storm passed, and Papyrus returned to his cooking. Her soul was fluttering and gushing and _happy_ and _warm._

He loved it when she felt this way. She made everyone else feel just as happy; her overly expressive soul had tendency to share its emotions with other souls quite easily, and her cheerful smile certainly helped.

When the group moved to the living room after dinner, she snuggled into her place between the two brothers. Her hand found his, and she squeezed his fingers through his glove. He looked down at her and smiled. She smiled back and mouthed a genuine 'thank you' to him. Then, she stretched to kiss his cheekbone.

"NO CANOODLING!" Undyne shouted playfully, Alphys and Frisk giggling in her lap.

"they're not canoodling, they're having a moment," Sans shot back lazily, creaking open one eye socket to look at her. (Had his brother even _watched_ the delightful pasta videos he had found!?) "let it happen."

"Yeah! Big sis and Paps are allowed to have best friend kisses!" Frisk was bouncing excitedly, clapping their hands together. There was some scattered grumbling, but the group went back to the playlist of videos. Her hand never left his, her thumb brushing over his pronounced knuckles through the glove.

Best friend kisses…

Is that what those were?


	11. Eye Lights, part one (Blueberry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Blue invites her over for a hang out sesh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, huh? Writer's block is a bitch! But I bring you a two-parter!  
> The first chapter is VERY short but the next chapter will be longer I promise.
> 
> Blue is really hard to characterize, 'cause I have a lot of ideas for his personality. Ugh.

Blue hated being in the supermarket by himself. It's why he always brought someone with him, just so he wasn't by himself. It wasn't that he was _scared_ of being there or anything! He was so amazing that he didn't have to worry about being there! It was that… Oh, it was embarrassing to even _think_... It was because people just assumed he was a child as he ran in to get what he needed. He was ID'd every time he needed to buy some wine for a recipe! It was degrading!

He was twenty eight, dang it, he was an adult!

He had heard that his lady was to be working through the metaphorical grapevine, which gave him some hope. She had been around far more often now that she was acquainted with all the skeletons, and she was (dare he say it?) his friend now! So, if she was working, maybe he could bump into her. It would be nice to see her, especially since Papy was too lazy to even come in with him. He was just sitting out in their car!

He needed something off the top shelf, he realized, looking down at his list then up at where the item was. A can of green chiles for taco night! He blinked at the can before setting his basket down. His signature, determined grin spread across his face as he let out a 'mweh heh heh!', pushing up his sleeves as he prepared to climb. Just as he was about to launch himself up the shelves, someone caught his cape and held him away from the shelves.

His first thought was that his brother had shown up. " _Papy, I need them!!!_ " He thrashed about, trying to get out of the iron grip on his cape.

"Well, I'm not Papy, but I _realllllly_ can't have you climbing up my shelves, Berry." Blue turned his head to look at his lady, who was standing with her hip cocked out to the side. A grin was spread across her face as he smiled back at her.

" _My lady!_ " he cried happily. Her hair was down and around her face, making her look far younger than normal; her eyes crinkled when she smiled widely at him, the dimples in her cheeks becoming more visible. He shook out of her grip to hug her torso. " _The magnificent Sans is delighted to see you!_ "

She rubbed the back of his skull, moving to support his body with her other arm. He nuzzled into her neck and sniffed. She smelled like spring rain. "I'm delighted to see you too, Berry. But," she pulled him off of her, looking down and tilting her head, "what are you doing here?"

He could feel his eye lights turn into stars, excitement building in his bones as he said, " _Taco night!_ " She blinked twice before giggling.

"That explains why you're in the Mexican foods aisle. Whatcha need?" She was looking at the upper shelves, waiting for his response.

" _The green chiles. We're trying something new with dinner tonight._ " She nodded, moving a couple items on the bottom shelf before stepping on it to give her a couple extra inches. She nabbed one of the cans, handing it to him with practiced ease. " _Why did you climb it if you're not supposed to!?_ " he shouted in surprise, wondering why she did it.

She pointed at her t-shirt, "I work here. You're," she pointed to him, "a customer. I can climb, you can't. Make sense?" He grumbled for half a second before putting the chiles into his basket. "Alright, glad we got that cleared." She looked at her phone, "I gotta dash, Berry. It was nice seein' ya! Hope taco night goes well!" She started to walk off, but he caught her hand. Her soul stuttered for a second before thudding with excitement.

" _What time are you off?_ " She could surely hang out with him and Papy, right? She did it with Sans and Red all the time!

She grinned, "I'm off at four. Hopefully. Why?" Her soul was very happy. It was a nice change of pace from her normally subdued soul.

" _Would you like to come hang out with Papy and I tonight? We can watch movies and play games! I'll even prepare some of my magnificent puzzles for you!_ " He could feel his eye-stars twirling in his sockets as he asked. He would love it if she could come over and hang out with him!

She smiled and pulled her hand from his grasp. "Alright, I can do that. What time should I be over?"

" _Six?_ " Was that too early? Would she want to come over later? He didn't want her to say no!

She nodded and shoved her hands back in her pockets. "Six is cool. I'll see you then, a'ight? Later, Berry!" His smile widened as she walked off, taco night forgotten as his mind filled with puzzle ideas.


	12. Eye Lights, part two (Blueberry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where she goes to have dinner with Blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *shrugs* hello fam a lam i am back

Blue rushed around his home and tidied up as the clock ticked down to six. His lady had texted at five thirty, saying she had left her home and that she was on her way over. The house had to be spotless; the magnificent Sans wouldn't let it be any less for his lady!

Papy, on the other, could apparently not care at all. He was sitting on their couch, legs propped up on the coffee table in front of him, head tilted back and snoozing away. Blue wanted to go over and wake him up. Their friend was coming over, and Papy should be helping clean, too! But that would get him nowhere. Well… It would 'get' him upset, since his younger brother would more than likely answer with a pun. And he hated puns.

A quick glance at his phone told him it was five minutes 'til. His lady should be over soon. The house was clean and beautiful, the food was staying warm in the over, and some puzzles and board games had been pulled out. She would love it. He would impress her.

" _you're gonna wear yourself out, runnin' all over the place like that, bro._ " Blue looked over at his brother from his spot in front of the door. Papy's eyes were still closed, but he continued to speak, " _she's a chill girl, so she's not gonna get bent outta shape if the house isn't perfect. 'sides, she'll be happy to hang out with us._ "

" _...But I want her to think really highly of us, so the house **has** to be perfect. I won't accept it if it's anything less than perfect!_ " Blue shot back excitedly. He could feel his eye lights turn into stars. He was so excited for her to be with them!

As if hearing his thoughts, there was a knock against the door. He could hear her mumble, "I hope they don't mind that I'm a few minutes early…"

Blue didn't care. He opened up the door and jumped into her, " _My lady!_ " She caught him, hugging him close and giggling. Her soul had stuttered for a second, but it thumped happily as she held onto him. He hugged her back and nuzzled his head into her shoulder. " _You've arrived! We're very happy to see you!_ " He looked over his shoulder, " _Aren't we happy to see her, Papy!?_ "

" _yep._ " His younger brother blipped into existence beside her. She jumped, but smiled at him. " _how ya doin', sweetheart?_ "

"Alright, all things considered. Now, I heard it was taco night?" Blue pulled away and nodded happily. She grinned and nuzzled her cheek against his. "Yes! You're the best, Berry." He felt his eye lights flicker between hearts and stars.

" _Yes! Of course! The Magnificent Sans is ALWAYS the best!_ " he said happily, hugging his lady tightly. " _I've put together a wonderful taco night, and I've even pulled out 'The Game of Life' and 'Monopoly' for us to play later!_ " She smiled and set him down, peering over at Papy. Blue grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the dining room. " _I just have to pull everything out of the oven, but then we can eat! Are you excited?_ "

Her smile was so bright, her soul was so happy, it was beautiful to see her smile. "I'm always excited when I'm with you, Berry. You're such a sweetheart, and you're so genuinely happy. I love hanging out with you." Blue felt his soul twist happily at her words, feeling warmth blossom in his chest as she smiled at him. After a moment, she suddenly said, "Oh! Not that I don't enjoy hanging out with you, too, Papy!"

He heard his brother's clothes shuffle (probably shrugging), " _don't worry about it, kid. he's got that affect on people._ "

She smiled back at him, "Yeah, I'm aware."


	13. Sleep Over (Red)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Red gives her his t-shirt for PJs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uploading this from my phone, so apologies if there's formatting errors.

Red had no idea why she had become so happy lately. It wasn't like he hated it; her soul was significantly easier to handle when she was happy. He liked it when she was happy. _Especially_ when she was happy around him. Even when she came to his place after working three hours overtime, she seemed happy.

He liked it. He liked that she was more 'touchy-feely' when she was happy. He like it _right at that moment_ , as she sat in between his legs while they watched a movie. She leaned against his chest, her fluffy hair acting as cushion on his clavicle. He kept his arms wrapped around her waist and set his chin on top of her head.

The movie was a shitty comedy, but she laughed whenever they nailed a punchline. Red thought it was cute when she'd laugh so hard she'd snort, then she'd cover her nose and look up to see if he had caught it. He'd feign not having heard it and then watch as she sighed in relief with cheeks tinged pink. It was cute. _She was cute._

He glanced at his phone, seeing that it was well past ten. The sky was black outside. " **doll, it's gettin' late. want me ta run ya back home?** " he asked, pulling away to get a proper look at her face. She turned and looked up at him, blinking twice.

"What time is it?" she responded, her smile falling a bit. Her soul pulsed with loneliness. Did she not want to leave?

" **a bit after ten. why?** " She leaned back into him, sighing slightly.

"I'm comfy…" she leaned back into him more. "You're warm. And I don't wanna go home yet. Cheese isn't gonna get mad at me or anything as long as you just drop me off through the void, so I can stay as late as you'll allow me to." She could stay as long as she wanted. Red had zero problem with her staying with him forever. "Well… as late as you _and_ Boss will allow me. I know how finicky he can be when it comes to me."

" **boss shouldn't care if you're here 'til late. we can always go watch movies in my room if he does.** " He looked at her face to gauge her reaction, seeing her chuckle slightly. His skeletal cheeks turned red - had she heard the desperation in his voice? He just really liked hanging out with her. That was it!

"That's always an idea, bone boy." The nickname caused his cheeks to turn an even darker red. Her soul pulsed with a happy-anxious mix.

" **and you could always spend the night if ya need to! i can drop ya off at your place tomorrow morning, no big deal.** " He plastered a smug smirk to his face so she wouldn't see his embarrassed flush. Did he really just offer to let her sleep over? He was so fucking lame.

"If I pass out, I'll take you up on that," she said, pressing her head against his clavicle. He rested his cheek against her forehead, hugging her tightly. As if to punctuate her point, she yawned. "Which, if I'm being honest, I'm pretty close to passing out… can I change into one of your t-shirts?"

And he was red again. The idea of seeing her in one of his shirts was _delightful._ " **yeah, i can grab ya one.** " She smiled at him, scooting off of his lap so he could move. Red immediately missed her warmth - but the idea of seeing her in his shirt was all the motivation he needed. " **back in a moment, doll.** " She bobbed her head in acknowledgement, eyes already glued back to the television screen.

Red raided his dresser for a t-shirt that was big enough to cover all of her, wasn't a complete wreck, and didn't smell like shit. It was a challenge, but he eventually found an old t-shirt Boss had made him. It read 'BONE BRO #2' across the front proudly. It was one of his favorite shirts, and he'd be lying if he said he hated the idea of her wearing it.

When he came back to the living room, she was still watching the movie attentively. She turned just in time to catch the shirt he flung at her, grinning. "Thanks. I'm gonna go change real quick, then." He nodded, watching as she brushed past him to reach the bathroom.

Anxiety filled his bones, his magic pulsing with it. He had no idea why. It wasn't like this was the first time a friend had stayed over. But… this was _her._ The idea of her staying over was exciting.

Not even a minute later, she stepped out with her wad of clothes in hand, adjusting the t-shirt that nearly hit her knees. She looked up at him, rubbing at a red-tinged cheek. "This alright?"

Had Red not been leaning against a wall, he would have swooned from how cute she was.


	14. Morning (Boss)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Boss takes care of you.

Boss had grown used to seeing people - both human and monster - wander out of Red's room every now and again. His brother craved affection despite his bitter attitude, and if he felt the need to he could cause anyone to swoon. Boss never commented on the people, just showing them to the door before going back to his work. It was a cautious silence between the brothers, a situation reminiscent of walking on eggshells.

So when _she_ walked out of his room one Saturday morning, wearing one of _his_ t-shirts (the one he made for him, pouring what little love he had into it), Boss had felt anger bubble up inside of him. How dare she wear that!? How dare she wear that after _fucking his brother!?_

She hadn't even realized the taller of the two brothers was out in their kitchen, her hand stuck up under her shirt as she itched her stomach. Boss watched over the island counter as she looked around the living room, back to him. Despite telling himself not to look, he glanced over to see her butt clad in black lace.

She had good taste in underwear, at least.

Her hair was messy, but not the 'after sex' messy Boss had seen on Red's lovers. It was innocent bed head. Nor did she radiate the satiated calmness like his lovers. Her soul was calm, but it wasn't _at ease._ It thudded in time to her scratching, pulsing with her always-running anxiety. After a moment, she pulled her hand out from underneath her shirt and stretched both arms above her head, leaning back. Her back popped.

The sound made Boss shiver audibly. She noticed the sound and turned to him, giving him a sleepy smile. "Mornin', Boss. Was wondering where you were at." She strode over to the island counter, leaning against it as she looked up at him. "Sleep well?"

He hesitated before nodding. " **AS WELL AS I COULD.** " She yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. It was clear from how she was acting and how she looked that she had _not_ fucked Red. For some reason, Boss felt relieved at that thought. He chalked it up to brotherly love. Though he was interested in how she avoided copulating with his brother… He had made it _very_ clear that he was interested in her. " **YOU SLEPT WITH RED?** "

"Ah, well, I guess. I offered to share the bed with him but he just got flustered and insisted that he'd sleep on the floor." She shrugged, "Though I guess he gave up, 'cause I woke up in his rib cage. Not on purpose or anything! But, like, my hands were threaded through his ribs." It was good Red slept deeply, because had he woken up to _that--_

Well, Boss would've had a reason to be pissed. A skeleton's ribs were very, _very_ sensitive, to both pain and pleasure. And his older brother had a tendency to mix both.

Though his brother was showing self-restraint. Maybe he was trying to act like a respectable gentleman and not jump her bones the moment he could? But he didn't give Red much credit; there had been plenty of chances to have sex with her. The duo had been drunk together often enough that it wouldn't be unreasonable for them to have sex.

Boss glared down at her, watching as she started to fall asleep leaning against the counter. It was clear that she didn't sleep well. After a moment of contemplating, he sighed heavily to catch her attention. She blinked up at him blearily. " **YOU'RE STILL TIRED.** " She nodded. The skeleton walked around the counter and pulled her towards him, then pushed her towards the couch. She just did as he instructed, reminding him of a ragdoll.

"What're you doing?" she asked as he motioned for her to lay down. She did that, staring up at him. He tossed a throw pillow that laid on the ground to her (it smacked her in the face, much to his diabolical pleasure). Then he threw one of their blankets over top of her. She kicked at it so that it covered her legs, snuggling into it once it was right.

" **MAKING SURE YOU DON'T PASS OUT WHILE DRIVING LATER. I'D FEEL GUILTY IF I LET A HALF-ASLEEP MENACE LIKE YOU OUT ON THE ROAD AND YOU INJURED SOMEONE.** " Well, it was basically the truth. He didn't want her getting hurt; she was someone his brother liked, after all. She just looked at him. After an awkward moment, Boss barked out, " **WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT, IDIOT!?** "

That caused her to respond. "I dunno. You're just a lot nicer than you let on, Boss." She extended her hand, touching his face. He briefly remembered his first time watching her drink. She didn't touch him like that at all. Her thumb ran over his cheekbone. "It's no wonder Fell and Red love you so much."

That caused his magic to flare up, spreading blood red to his skull in a magical blush. He buried the lower half of his face into his scarf, pushing her head into the pillow. " **LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE A HALF-ASLEEP MENACE. THIS WILL BE THE _ONLY_ TIME I SAY TO TAKE A NAP, SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.** "

"Okay." Boss took his hand off her head, seeing her close her eyes. "Thanks, Boss. Night."

" **GOOD… NIGHT.** "

Maybe he could see, just a little bit, why Red was so infatuated with this stupid woman.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow jeez I said "no drama" and let me tell you it's FULL OF DRAMA.
> 
> Emotional drama.
> 
> ...shit.


End file.
